(904) 208-2195

Is the IT Security Gap a Threat to SMBs? [CHART]

December 8th, 2016 by admin

Now that it’s officially December, it’s time to sit down and really think about what 2017 will bring. Over the past year we’ve seen higher adoption of virtualization, web applications and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments. As these and similar trends develop, security threats are likely to continue to emerge with unprecedented speed and complexity, putting businesses of all sizes at risk.

Those most impacted, however, are the small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that often lack the resources and expertise to protect themselves against internal and external threats. Due to these rising threats, SMBs are required to shift their security strategy and priorities. But for most, the level of protection doesn’t always match the perceived threat. So how can you protect clients against this gap in IT security?

Fortunately, SMBs can rely on your expertise to enhance their IT security strategy. If you have a client that is planning to upgrade their current security infrastructure, you may want to consider looking more closely into Unified Threat Management (UTM) to strengthen their strategy. According to Webopedia, UTM is a security appliance that combines firewall, gateway anti-virus, and intrusion detection and prevention capabilities into a single platform. Essentially, it’s the strongest line of defense against the security threats that businesses have to face today.

However, if your clients are like the 51 percent of business owners who are unfamiliar with UTM, they may not fully understand the benefits it has to offer or how it differs from other security solutions. As their trusted business advisor, it’s your job to help them achieve a business-grade security posture, and that includes education on the latest solutions. Even if you don’t currently provide UTM services, you may consider reevaluating your security strategy as you head into the New Year. We’ll likely see increased adoption of UTM in 2017.

To help you get this conversation started, we’ve gathered data from Osterman Research’s 2016 Benchmarking Survey (sponsored by Cyren) that you can use in your next presentation.

See the chart below:

Is the IT Security Gap a Threat to SMBs?

Want to use this chart right away? Click here to download a customizable version!

As we can see in the chart, there’s a clear and troublesome gap in this concern-to-protection ratio. This means that security issues may be falling by the wayside for many SMBs, even though they’re validated as legitimate concerns. If these issues aren’t a priority, how can they protect themselves against the turbulent cybersecurity landscape?

A strong UTM appliance provides multi-layered threat protection that creates a barrier against security issues such as ransomware, targeted attacks, phishing scams and more. UTM could be the solution your clients need today or in the near future.

Here are a few business benefits of embracing UTM:

Increased Threat Protection

The purpose of a UTM appliance is to provide layered, integrated protection all within a single appliance. Essentially, it allows you to better protect yourself against a range of security threats in one solution. UTM appliances typically include services similar to an endpoint protection solution, such as antivirus and anti-malware. However, they enhance this level of protection by providing increased security at the outskirts of your network as well. With URL blocking, firewall, intrusion prevention, and other security features, a UTM appliance can protect your endpoints AND defend your network.

Simplified Management

If your IT security strategy is a patchwork of different devices from multiple vendors, it may be putting too much strain on your in-house team to manage. UTM products allow for a more centralized management of threats to local and remote environments from a single console. And as your MSP, we can take care of the deployment, management and monitoring for you – thereby addressing your security needs in an efficient and simplified manner.

Lower Expenses

Instead of acquiring and purchasing multiple security solutions, a UTM appliance is a more cost-efficient alternative because it combines all of these solutions into one. That consolidation can also help you reduce any associated training costs because your techs will only need to learn one appliance.

Continuum Partners: In continuing our commitment to help you accelerate sales through ongoing marketing support, every week we will be uploading customizable PowerPoint templates with relevant charts and data that you can use in your own decks. And because it's white labeled, you'll be able to add your own logo and branding to stand out against the crowd! Just keep checking back on the Partner Support Portal for files to download!

 

Source: https://www.continuum.net/blog/is-the-it-security-gap-a-threat-to-smbs-chart

Posted in: IT, Security


Our Office

Request a Consultation – Contact Us